Ramaphosa and Kiir Talks Focus on South Sudan's December Elections and Implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement

[Tshwane] South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held talks with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Wednesday in the administrative capital Tshwane, with both sides focusing on preparations for South Sudan's elections scheduled for December 22 and the implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.

According to Africanews, the talks came days after Ramaphosa chaired regional discussions in his capacity as Chair of the AU High-Level Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan. The core issue driven by the committee was whether South Sudan is ready to hold elections as scheduled.

The discussions covered political dialogue, the security situation, electoral logistics and other aspects, with South Africa expected to provide support for South Sudan's electoral process. Ramaphosa urged South Sudan to work to address the remaining "political, security and logistical challenges" to ensure the elections can be "peaceful, credible and inclusive."

Africanews described South Sudan's peace process as "fragile," noting that implementation of several key provisions of the agreement has long lagged, and the upcoming elections are widely regarded as another critical test of the country's peace process, with uncertainty remaining over whether they can be held on schedule.